Visa and Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure platform and a Stripe company, have announced an expansion of their global stablecoin-linked card issuance programme, which the two companies first unveiled in 2025.
The expanded collaboration includes on-chain settlement of card transactions with Visa, enabled through Bridge's partnership with Lead Bank.
Bridge-enabled stablecoin-linked Visa cards are currently live in 18 countries, with planned expansion to over 100 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East by the end of the year. The cards allow consumers to make purchases from stablecoin balances at Visa's network of more than 175 million merchant locations. Crypto platforms, including Phantom and MetaMask, are among those using Bridge's infrastructure to offer stablecoin-linked cards to their users.
On-chain settlement and the stablecoin pilot
A central element of the expansion is Visa's stablecoin settlement pilot, which enables Visa issuers and acquirers, including those issuing Bridge-enabled cards, to settle with Visa using stablecoins over supported blockchain networks. Lead Bank, which participates in the settlement pilot and is supported by Bridge's stablecoin infrastructure, is a key participant in this framework.
The pilot is designed to assess how stablecoin settlement can expand settlement options for issuers and programme managers, evaluate operational efficiency gains from on-chain reconciliation, and examine how stablecoin infrastructure platforms can simplify blockchain interactions for institutional participants.
Cuy Sheffield, Head of Crypto at Visa, said the expansion of the company's work with Bridge brings the efficiency, transparency, and programmability of stablecoins into the settlement process, and reinforces Visa's role as a network connecting stablecoins with the global payments ecosystem.
Expanding on this, Zach Abrams, CEO and co-founder of Bridge, described the collaboration as part of a multi-year effort to help businesses build their own financial infrastructure, noting that the expansion will enable businesses launching custom stablecoins to use them within their card programmes.
Evaluation of Bridge-issued assets
Visa has also indicated it is evaluating potential support for Bridge-issued assets in future payment flows, with assessment focused on how these assets could complement Visa's global network and introduce an additional settlement pathway for partners. No timeline for this phase has been confirmed.
